A New Year means a new start at my personal photography challenge. What better way to kick it off than with a whole bunch of crazy people who have decided to start their year by jumping into a freezing river?
There is no better way.
I met up with the crazies (I say that with love, and they know it) just in time to watch them take part in the 2011 Pittsburgh Polar Bear Plunge. We fought through treacherous mud, pouring rain, weirdly warm temperatures, and thick fog.
Then THEY fought through stripping down to the essentials and jumping into a arctic river. I fought through clicking a little button and staying out of the way. I'M SO TOUGH.
She's tougher. I'm OK with that.
While it was fifty degrees outside when the Polar Bear Plunge went down, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the water was more like ZOMGBRRRRRSOOOOCOLD. I think body parts fell off.
And yet, one after another, the crazies leaped into the icy abyss.
That first glance of them when they emerged from the river was like a lesson in foul language, pain, and SERIOUSLY? THEY'RE DOING THIS ON PURPOSE?
ON PURPOSE.
They even seemed to . . . I don't know . . . LIKE IT.
Weird.
They are all pretty much rock stars.
Hat's off to Yinz, but that's it. Just my hat. I'll be keeping my warm, dry clothes on.